Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-03-06
SANDY BOwERs's FORTUNE.
Eve Ten-FOOt Claims on the Com
stock Made Him and His Wife
Very Rich,
Denver Tribune.l

Sandy Bowers's mansion at Frank
town, Neb., is torn down. Sandy was
one of the lucky characters in Nevada
in an early day. He owned ten feet on
the Bowers claim on the Comstock,
now known as the Imperial Consoli-
dated. and certain good-looking girl
owned another ten feet. When the
bonanza on the claim was struck the
ownership of single foot made man
wealthy. Sandy was more than wealthy;
he had money to throw to the dogs,
and, while he did not literally throw it
that way, he threw lots of it to the
boys who needed it. To know
Sandy Bowers was to have sure
thing on n stake When money was
coming in most plentifully Sandy and
the pretty girl to whom he had given
the ten feet on the Bowers joined their
fortunes and got married and went to
Europe on a wedding trip. Sandy was
no fool. He could well act the part Of
a cultured gentleman and Mrs. Bowers
could act the part of lady. They OBJ
tanned an introduction to aristocratic
and royal circles in nearly every coun-
try they visited, and they made their
tour last three years. Mrs. Bowers was
presented to Queen Victoria, and she
cut quite dash in Partisan circles.
During his absence Sandy instructed
his Nevada agent to build him palace
IN certain spot at Franktown. The
location was beautifully chosen. 1t
was on the edge of plain, close to the
foot of pine-covered mountain, ont of
whose sides dubbed hot and cold
water springs. The palace was built of
cut granite. 1t was long, wide build
ing, with a wing at each side. 1t CON
tanned seventy rooms, each one large
and with high ceilings. The stair
cases were wide and of the most
costly and beautiful wood. The bath
rooms were finished in marble, and
every portion of the interior of the
house was as fine as it could be. The
hot and cold springs back of the house
carried water to the house and the beau
tiful lawn surrounding it and made
lakes and fountains. In one small
pond was pretty island, on which was
blrd-house made of glass. The
stables were filed with blooded stock,
and the conservatory with rare and
costly plants. The house was furnished
with the richest furniture, carpets, and
curtains that money could buy, and il
was a palace of luxury.
Mr.. and Mrs. Bowers entertained
splendidly, and the latch-string was
always out. No tired, foot-sore, OF
dead-broke prospector ever knocked at
the door in vain. Sandy never forgot
bis old companions or his old occupa-
ton, and, as the boys said, "He didn't
feel id bit bigger than he did be-
fore he wore billed shirts.
But it didn't last long, for one day
Sandy died, leaving his widow with ont
little yellow-h haired girl. After his
death Mrs. Bowers became the victim
of very INSCRIPTIONS swindler and
soon became involved in debt She
rented the house for dance-honse and
kindred purposes, and it rapidly went
to ruin. Finally the little girl died
and was buried on the mountain
side behind the house, beside her
father. Her death broke the spirit of
Mrs. Bowers, who had by that time
lost her diamonds and everything she
owned, and she gave up the palace to
the man who held the mortgage on it.
That man was one of the penniless
prospectors who had been entertained
at her house in the days of her pros
perity. The whirligig OF mining for
tune brought him his luck, and ne is
now solid citizen Of Reno. As for
Mrs. Bowers, she is an astrologer and
fortune-teller in San Francisco.